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TODAY’S THE DAY: ‘Qsuite Next Gen’ launches today, and we’re there

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Qatar Airways launched its Qsuite business class seat at the ITB Berlin travel show in February 2017.

We were there for that, and it was genuinely a revolution in business class seating.

Designed to take advantage of the wider fuselage of the Boeing 777, it was the first mainstream ‘seat with a door’.

EDIT: We have coverage on our X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn pages now – the key seat features on in this LinkedIn post (click)

Qsuite Next Generation launches today

It went further though.

Qsuite aimed to cater for families and couples as well as individual travellers, giving as much or as little privacy as desired.

If a family of four or a group was travelling together the wall between the seats could be opened, with the tables creating a dining area for four:

Qsuite Next Generation launches today

For a couple travelling together, the two beds formed a double bed:

Qsuite Next Generation launches today

Qsuite Next Gen launches today

Today, at the Farnborough International Airshow, Qatar Airways is launching the next generation of Qsuite.

We know nothing about it. I’ve not spoken to a single Qatar Airways employee who will admit to having seen it.

All we know from the invitation is:

“Those seeking to experience the Qsuite Next Gen can expect: Further advancements in comfort, collaborative and social design elements and passenger dining experiences.”

The official launch is at noon.

During the afternoon, HfP will get a private tour and demonstration of the new seat.

Tomorrow morning, I am at a breakfast with the new Qatar Airways CEO, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer. Rhys and I are also sitting down with the Chief Commercial Officer of Qatar Airways for an exclusive 1-2-1 chat (well, 2-2-1!).

We’ll get some images onto our social platforms as soon as we can, and get a full article up later today or by tomorrow morning. Is there really much more that can be done with a business class seat? We will see.

Category

Qatar Airways and Privilege Club

Comments (90)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • F says:
    22 Jul22 July 09:18

    Speaking of QR did anyone take part in the recent avios rebate promo and did you get your rebate yet?

  • David S says:
    22 Jul22 July 09:38

    Any chance of a clue as to when the “not good” QR changes get announced and or effective from ? Just need to know if I need to accelerate any bookings for next year. Fully appreciate you can’t spell out the changes at this point

  • S says:
    22 Jul22 July 09:46

    Rob, when you say change is coming to QR but not in a good way, do we get to hear what that change is today?

  • Alex says:
    22 Jul22 July 09:47

    Can you get clarity on reward availability when they say no blackouts? Does that mean Flexi only or do they mean every date has normal reward availability?

    • Rob says:
      22 Jul22 July 10:05

      What it is meant to mean is 2 seats at standard price at 360 days out (which BA.com can’t see due to BAs 355 day rule). This does not always seem to happen though. I also don’t understand how their married segment rules (ie you only see a seat on Doha to Sydney if you start from selected cities) fits around this.

      • ekposh says:
        22 Jul22 July 11:07

        Thanks. I’ve not seen anything other than Flexi for July 2025 and been checking everyday – MAN-DPS

  • simonjones says:
    22 Jul22 July 09:51

    I would be booking my QR reward seats sooner rather than later from what I’ve been told as a premier BA customer

    • babyg says:
      22 Jul22 July 10:47

      @simonjones – does sooner = today? next week? next month?

    • Blair Waldorf Salad says:
      22 Jul22 July 11:31

      If customers are being told and it is thus in the public domain, why the secrecy? One great thing about the rise of social media is the democratisation of instantaenous awareness and indeed instantaneous feedback.

  • SteveCroydon says:
    22 Jul22 July 10:44

    Well done @Rob for talking them out of changing 180k to Australia; that’s my yearly trip in J or F on QR. As for Qsuite, I’ve never been that impressed with it. I’m 1.95m/6’5″ tall, not overweight with large feet. I hate the foot cubby hole and the fact that the table doesn’t disappear, thereby preventing a comfortable knees up position when laying flat. The only good thing about Qsuite is that it’s better than the other J seat on A380/B787. They’re like flying in a coffin and bally uncomfortable with zero privacy. QR’s food, service and lounges are goodly though. Flying LGW-DOH-ADL in January 2025, the service lounge reviews at LGW-N aren’t good. Almost makes going to Hellrow T4 seem attractive!!

    • Richie says:
      22 Jul22 July 10:53

      BTW The B777X aircraft, which QR has ordered, is wider than the B777 and A350, so they could allocate a bit of extra width to the cubby hole for the seat next to the window.

    • Rob says:
      22 Jul22 July 11:16

      Not saying they won’t do it …. my view is, given that we’re talking just 10 guaranteed seats per day (5 flights into Oz with 2 guaranteed J seats) the PR value of 180k outweighs any benefit from increasing it.

      • TGLoyalty says:
        22 Jul22 July 11:42

        Depends how much? I’d 200k really going to move the needle. In fact if it’s now a smaller cost differential vs say SIN or HK it might even drive more people to head further east.

  • Aston100 says:
    22 Jul22 July 11:03

    The negative change has got to be the move to peak and off-peak pricing?

    • Rob says:
      22 Jul22 July 11:14

      That’s already live on some routes.

      • BJ says:
        22 Jul22 July 11:45

        Yes, already paid 90k EDI-BKK on one trip. On the plus side ‘Free F’ is still alive and well 🙂

  • Petermc says:
    22 Jul22 July 11:23

    Hope they don’t substitute the cabin mock up for one with 2-2-2 seats.

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

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